Meet Your Goals & Objectives
with Thumball™

It’s A Lesson Plan in the Palm of Your Hand!

For the player to:

1. Expand vocabulary knowledge and usage through definitions, descriptions, word associations and categorizing.
2. Improve Pro-social behaviors through use of appropriate eye contact; turn taking, sharing and game play.
3. Increase emotional intelligence through use of polite forms, interest in positive characteristics of self and others and recognition of body language and facial expressions.
4. Engage in creative and innovative thought while utilizing Thumball in a variety of ways for multiple purposes

The Early Learners Series:

Numbers Thumball (6 inch diameter; 12 multicolored panels)

For players to develop and improve math abilities:

1. Recognize and identify numerals and number words and one to one correspondence,
2. Count from 0 to 10 by ones, twos, forwards and backwards.
3. Spell number words accurately.
4. Follow multi step directions.
5. Add, subtract and/or multiply two single digits with increasing speed and accuracy.

Try Numbers Thumball in a different way.       

Write the numbers 1 through 10 on a board. Next to each number write the word, direction, question or task you want the player to accomplish.

After a round of catch stop and find the number under the players thumb, look at he list and follow that direction.

Before you know it you will work through the list and have accomplished goals while having a ball.

Animals Thumball (6 inch diameter; 12 multicolored panels)

For players to develop and improve receptive and expressive language abilities:

1. Recognize and identify animal forms, associated features and descriptive attributes.
2. Formulate and produce sentences relating to animals.
3. Make associations between animal and stories/ books highlighting these animals.
4. Utilize animal images to inspire ideas and start stories for oral and written expression.

Shapes Thumball (6 inch diameter; 12 multicolored panels)

For players to develop and improve visual perception and language abilities:

1. Identify black and white images against brightly colored panels.
2. Recognize and point to specified shapes
3. Trace shapes to develop visual tracking skills.
4. Verbally identify shapes
5. Copy shapes onto paper to enhance fine motor skills
6. Form shapes with body parts & in cooperative groups to enhance gross motor skills.
7. Locate and identify objects in the environment that represent each shape
8. Recognize and define prefixes and their usage in other words.
9. Spell shape terms accurately

My ABCs Thumball (6 inch diameter; 32 multicolored panels)

For players to develop and improve phonological skills (the basis for all literacy skill development) and word retrieval skills for maintenance and care of neurological functioning):

1. Point to alphabet by letter name
2. Verbally identify alphabet by letter name
3. Verbally identify sound made by alphabet letter
4. Copy alphabet letters onto paper
5. Combine alphabet letters and sounds to form nonsense and real words
6. Differentiate between consonant sounds and vowel sounds
7. Differentiate between long vowel and short vowel sounds
8. Generate words which begin or end with specific letter sounds
9. Generate words within a category with specific beginning or ending letter sounds with increasing speed, accuracy and number of responses

The “Original” Six Thumball Designs:

Category Mania Thumball (4 inch in diameter; 32 panels of Yellow/Blue)

For Players to develop and improve efficient ability to locate and retrieve specific words:

1. Recognize the different terms, which identify classes of words.
2. Organize vocabulary by category
3. Name objects, actions and ideas within categories.
4. Name objects, actions, and ideas within categories with specific beginning or ending sounds.
5. Name objects, actions, and ideas within categories
6. With specific beginning or ending sounds with increasing speed, accuracy and number of responses.

Letter Mania Thumball (4 inch in diameter; 32 panels of Red/White)

For players to develop and improve knowledge and efficient usage sound-symbol relationships and phonological skills:

1. Point to alphabet by letter name
2. Verbally identify alphabet by letter name
3. Verbally identify sound made by alphabet letter
4. Copy alphabet letters onto paper
5. Combine alphabet letters and sounds to form nonsense and real words
6. Differentiate between consonant sounds and vowel sounds
7. Differentiate between long vowel and short vowel sounds
8. Generate words which begin or end with specific letter sounds
9. Generate words within a category with specific beginning or ending letter sounds with increasing speed, accuracy and number of responses.

Answer Mania Thumball (4 inch in diameter; 32 panels of Pink/Purple)

For players to develop and improve grammatical forms and inventive thinking:

1. Locate words/phrases which correspond to the word meanings yes, no or maybe
2. Formulate questions using "Is, Will, Did, Can or Does” which relate to life experiences. (Will I get an A on my history test? Did my Dad get tickets to the ball game?  Is my class going on a picnic?)
3. Formulate questions utilizing imagination and humor. (Did my big toe just say Hello? Will my family be the first to go the moon together?)
4. Share the Answer Mania game with family and friends to promote play skills and social interactions.

Emotion Mania Thumball (4-inch diameter; 32 panels of Black/White)

For players to improve emotional intelligence for knowledge/usage of feelings.

1. Recognize different words and facial expressions on Thumball.
2. Imitate facial expressions and identify corresponding life situations associated with them.
3. Identify different reasons for feelings of wellness (thoughtfulness, kindness, optimism)
4. Identify different reasons for feeling unwell (lonely, hurt, embarrassed, worried)
5. Expand expressive language for explaining feeling and generating ways to improve or change emotional states.
6. Act out each word through body language and facial expressions, which convey emotion.

Who Are You? Thumball (4-inch diameter; 32 panels of Green/Blue)

For Players to develop ease of verbal expression asking and answering questions in groups to develop social communication skills.

1. Participate in turn taking game, circulating Thumball by passing, rolling, tossing and catching with increasing ease and accuracy.
2. Answer questions related to personal preferences and experiences.
3. Ask others questions about their likes/ dislikes and life experiences.
4. Recall answers given by other players and maintain topic of conversation.
5. Ask family, friends and peers to participate in surveys about favorite things. Utilize polite forms, refrain from interrupting and keep data.
6. Create charts and graphs to reflect findings from surveys and present orally in front of a group.

Ice Breaker Thumball (6 inch diameter; 32 panels of Silver/Black)

For players to interact in group setting while developing ease of verbal expression to improve social awareness and interactions.

1. Participate in turn taking game, circulating Thumball by passing, rolling, tossing and catching with increasing ease and accuracy.
2. Answer questions related to personal preferences and experiences.
3. Ask others questions about their likes/ dislikes and life experiences.
4. Recall answers given by other players and maintain topic of conversation.
5. Ask family, friends and peers to participate in surveys about favorite things. Utilize polite forms, refrain from interrupting and keep data.
6. Create charts and graphs to reflect findings from surveys and present orally in front of a group.

Meet & Greet Thumball (6 inch diameter; 32 panels of Yellow/Red)

For players to interact in group setting while developing ease of verbal expression, social awareness and stimulate discussions among players.

1. Participate in turn taking game, circulating Thumball by passing, rolling, tossing and catching with increasing ease and accuracy.
2. Answer questions related to personal and workplace preferences and experiences.
3. Ask other players questions about their likes/ dislikes and work and home experiences.
4. Recall answers given by other players and maintain current topic of conversation.
5. Ask family, friends and peers to participate in surveys about favorite things. Utilize polite forms, refrain from interrupting and keep data.
6. Create charts and graphs to reflect findings from surveys and present orally in front of a group.

Virtues & Values Thumball (4-inch diameter; 32 panels of Red/Blue)

For players to improve character development through knowledge/usage of personal characteristics.

1. Recognize different descriptive terms for characteristics.
2. Act out with facial expressions and body language impressions of those terms.
3. Identify corresponding life situations associated with those characteristics.
4. Identify characteristics each player feels they possess.
5. Identify characteristics they observe in others.
6. Identify virtues and values they want to possess and ways to stimulate  growth of  those characteristics.
7. Use each word in a sentence to illustrate it’s meaning in context.

Parts of a Story Thumball (4-inch diameter; 12 panels of Multi-colored)

For Players to develop ease of verbal expression asking and answering book report questions in groups to enhance literacy skills and social communication abilities

1. Participate in turn taking game, circulating Thumball by passing, rolling, tossing and catching with increasing ease and accuracy.
2. Answer questions related to story parts including character, setting, and plot.
3. Ask each other questions about their books and story parts. (Use in conjunction with Tell The Tale Thumball).
4. Recall answers given by other players while maintaining topic of conversation.
5. Improve receptive/expressive vocabulary for key elements of a story.
6. Create charts, which combine findings about each story element and make comparisons and contrasts.
7. Present answers verbally in small groups and in front of the class to enhance public speaking skills.

Tell The Tale Thumball (4 inch in diameter; 32 panels of Multi-colored)

For Players to develop and improve ability to summarize and retell stories and story elements.

1. Identify Story Titles as fables, fairy tales or modern books.
2. Organize information known about each title by time, place, character and sequences of events. (USE in conjunction with Parts of a Story Thumball).
3. Initiate research into any stories players are unfamiliar with.
4. Effectively sequence first, middle and last events in story.
5. Explain conflict and resolution in each story.
6. Detail reasons to like or dislike each story.
7. Act out stories in small groups to generalize learning and improve recall of stories and discuss stories made into TV shows or films.

Move Your Body Thumball (4 inch in diameter; 32 panels of Teal/Yellow)

For players to develop fine/gross motor skills, expand knowledge and usage of verbs and adverbs.

1. Locate then read movement described on each panel.
2. Follow direction given for each movement.
3. Take turns giving the verbal instructions to group
4. Give example of when or where you could see the movement.
5. Differentiate between quiet vs. noisy movements
6. Differentiate between indoor vs. outdoor movements
7. Differentiate between individual and group activities.
8. Follow each direction for multiple sets to increase physical fitness benefits.

©2006 Answers In Motion, L.L.C. • Patents & Copyrights Pending
204 S. Lippincott Ave., Maple Shade, New Jersey, 08052-3251 USA • 732-267-7792 • email